The Pittsburgh region has been selected to receive $62.7 million in federal funding as part of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. It's just one of 21 locations around the country that won such funding, which the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative — the 11-county represented receiver of the funds — hopes to use for five grant-funding projects involving robotics-related developments.
All five of these projects are intended to provide long-term opportunities for people, businesses and communities in the region looking to get into the growing robotics and autonomy industries.
"This includes expanded opportunities for women and people of color, as well as provide geographic equity throughout the region," Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, said in a prepared statement. "The grant also puts a plan in motion for the adoption of robotics and AI technologies across a vast portfolio of existing businesses — of every size and in all corners of the region — and seeks to leverage our base of manufacturers to build robust local supply chains."
The Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative's board is chaired by Pashman and Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University. Its members include labor representatives, educational institutions, workforce and economic development colleagues, businesses and others from around the 11-county region. The collaborative's pitch involved the efforts of more than 90 of these individuals or groups, which began pulling the idea together in the fall of 2021 as part of a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to pursue funding that would permit the development of these types of projects.
"Southwestern Pennsylvania winning this significant Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant is a testament to the sheer power of collaboration that’s been so integral to the transformation of our regional economy," Jahanian said in a prepared statement. "This effort will catalyze new programs and partnerships that share our region’s distinctive strengths in robotics, AI and automation with new and small businesses in our key sectors, while elevating and training a more resilient workforce."
The projects being funded include:
- $24.8 million for "Expanded Pathways to New Economy Careers" that will be led by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
- $14.2 million for a robotics manufacturing hub to be led by The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute
- $12 million for a Robotics Startup Factory to be led by Innovation Works Inc.
- $6.9 million for "Expanded Pathways to Entrepreneurship" to be led by InnovatePGH
- $4.8 million for Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) Robotics Adoption to be led by Catalyst Connection
Phase 1 of the challenge included 529 applications around the country, of which the collaborative proved successful to make it among one of 60 applications to make it onto Phase 2 of the challenge. The national challenge totaled $1 billion in funds set aside for grants that could reach up to $100 million, funding for which came as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021.
